raccoon butterflyfish

Chaetodon lunula, like all butterflyfish, has a laterally compressed, disc-shaped body. Its snout is slightly pointed. It averages about fifteen centimeters in length, but some individuals can grow up to 20 cm.

As adults, the raccoon butterflyfish is bicolored with mainly yellow and brown patterns. It has a large black band over the eye followed by a white band, then several oblique black bands reaching the base of the dorsal fin. This species is also covered in fine black diagonal stripes. The peduncle of the caudal fin is black, and the fins are yellow.

Juveniles are also bicolored, mainly yellow and brown. Like the adults, they have a large black band over the eye followed by a white band. They have a black spot surrounded by a yellow border on the rear of the dorsal fin, which disappears in adulthood. The caudal fin is transparent with a black peduncle, and the pectoral fins are also transparent.

The raccoon butterflyfish is a fish that lives in pairs or groups and naturally resides near the bottom. It has a rather lively temperament, constantly swimming among rocks and corals in search of food. Adults feed on nudibranchs, tube worms, algae, and coral polyps.

In general, it is an independent fish that does not pay much attention to other species.

The raccoon butterflyfish mostly lives in pairs, and reproduction is monogamous. During reproduction, the pair ascends to the surface and releases their gametes simultaneously. Occasionally, opportunistic males take advantage of this opportunity to release their sperm at the same time. Once fertilized, the eggs are carried away by the current. They hatch quickly, and the larvae are pelagic.